Batman #136 Review

Posted on by Alan Taylor

(W) Chip Zdarsky (A) Belén Ortega

Since Chip Zdarsky Came onto Batman at issue 125, it has been a title that has moved at a breakneck pace.  From alternative Gotham, to Batman falling from Space (something of course he has a contingency plan for), it has been a blockbuster series that has barely paused for breath.  Until now.  With Issue 136, Zdarsky slows the pace down, and manages to catch readers up on everything that has happened in his run so far.

In other words, this is a perfect jumping on point for new readers.

Batman #135 was a love letter to all things The Dark Knight from the last 80 years (it was a legacy #900 oversized issue), and it was largely a lot of fun to read, despite the high stakes.  It was almost light-hearted in places.

Well, Batman #136 is the opposite of that as Zdarsky starts to weave all those threads he’s been playing with so far together.  We find The Dark Knight at one of his worst points.  He’s lost his hand, Zur-en-Arrh is still there as a backup in his mind, and worst of all, he is keeping all this information to himself.  Batman has always been a loner, no matter how many allies he surrounds himself with, but keeping everything to himself puts everyone around him in f danger.

With Zur-en-Arrh, it’s impossible as a Naruto fan not to draw comparisons with the Jinchuriki sealed inside of Naruto.  The 9 tails beast gives Naruto extreme powers and also the ability to push him further and faster than he ever should.  However, the 9 tails is also dangerous and it’s possible at any point that Naruto could lose himself completely to the tailed beast.  This is what Zur-en-Arrh’s function is.  It is a more dangerous version of Batman.  He even has a conversation with Bruce within his head, that he knows he can’t destroy him, because he’s going to need him for what’s coming.  Zur-en-arrh is even locked behind bars in the same way as the 9 tails.  This cannot be coincidence…

Bruce is filled with doubts as to his effectiveness as a Hero as he has returned to his Gotham.  So of course, he overcompensates and attacks Penguins minions, as well as confronting a Catwoman who has broken out of jail and is a on the run.  But despite this, she is bringing a form of peace to her area of Gotham.  Maybe her methods are more effective than Bruces?  These are the kind of questions rattling around Bruce’s mind as he continues to doubt himself.

This leads to Bruce being tricked into a family dinner, which gives us some wholesome imagery of the Bat-Family being together, beautifully drawn by Ortega, and I may have already ordered a print of it….but even amongst all the laughter and this seemingly positive moment, it’s clear that Bruce is racked with guilt, self doubt and has never appeared so alone.

Knight Terrors really interrupted these titles at the wrong time, I can’t wait for #137, and to jump back into the excellent run that Zdarsky and the likes of Jorge Jimenez, Mike Hawthorne and Belen Ortega have been serving up.

Best Comics of the Week – 29th December 2021

Posted on by Alan Taylor

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Blood on Sunset #1(W) Mark D’Anna (A) Arjuna Susini

BLOOD ON SUNSET #1, from Source Point Press, imagines an alternate, mid-Century Los Angeles where gangsters rubbed elbows with celebrities and supernatural monsters.  It’s set post World War 2 and given it’s detective hard boiled noir mixed with Supernatural elements, it’s right up my street.All the tropes you know and love are here.  The hard boiled detective with a case from his past that will always haunt him.  The femme fatale.  The dark alleyways and long shadows.  Except here you throw in the supernatural twist and that adds an extra dimension.Said Detective, in this tale known as Braddock, is in a bar drinking his troubles away when he receives a call from an ex-girlfriend who is now Bugsy Siegel’s side squeeze.  The only problem?  Bugsy has been killed, in a bloody and gruesome manner and she’s at the scene, with no clue what to do next.There are lots of moving parts here, from the supernatural elements, to turf wars from crime families getting ready to make their move, to the noir elements, and it all gels brilliantly.Great art as well, with atmosphere dripping off of every page.  Highly recommended.Task Force Z #3(W) Matthew Rosenberg (A) Eddy Barrows

With issue 3 we jump straight into the aftermath of the big reveal from issue 2, Deadshot is back and he is joining the team.  Only problem is, his first impression is shooting Jason Todd in the chest!So we kick things off with Jason being saved and then having to integrate Deadshot into the team, while attempting to hold no grudges.This was another fantastic issue for the series.  The general concept is excellent, and the execution is even better.  There are horror moments, comedic moments, and tons of great character interactions.  We have a decent amount of people in store with this on their pull lists but I can’t help but feel it deserves an even bigger audience.And Rosenberg is becoming skilled at revelations, as we learn who is really behind putting this team together, and to be honest, you’ll never guess who it is if I gave you 100 chances…Stray Dogs: Dog Days #1(W) Tony M. Fleecs (A) Trish Forstner

A follow up to the surprise horror hit of last year arrives, and it’s not actually a sequel, but a prequel, filling in the blanks of how all the characters introduced in the series ended up at their new home.  So strap in, and get ready for some heartbreak, as we all know the endings for each of these individual tales are going to be bittersweet.I use the term bittersweet because of course there is the tension of knowing where all the pups are going to end up, but you also have the joy of seeing them happy with their original owners.Overall there are six short stories in here, all perfectly drawn by Trish Forstner in that they are cute and colourful one minute, but the move into horror and peril is seamlessly executed.  Sometimes all it takes is one panel to completely turn the story on its head.Issue 2 will cover the rest of the characters, and you just know that’s gonna be another emotional rollercoaster of an issue!Devil’s Reign #2(W) Chip Zdarsky (A) Marco Checchetto

Devil’s Reign #2 continues to build off of the great foundation laid by #1.

It can be hard to shake the feeling that this is uncomfortably close to Civil War, but having read that recently, I have to say this is actually gripping me more.

#2 is a series of small moments as there is a huge cast to check in with here. We see Iron Fist being arrested, even though he is not indulging in any vigilante activities. Reed and Sue are in prison and not immune to attacks from other prisoners. Ben Reilly Spider-Man is arrested. And Elektra pays a visit to Fisk where he reveals he knows a secret of hers.

Fisk is in full confident mood and preparing for his end game. Controlling the Purple Man’s powers, he plans to coerce people to vote for him. Doctor Octopus, under Fisk’s employ, is still in the Baxter building and has access to all of Reed’s experiments and is bringing back the Superior Four.

This series is building nicely and I’m all in for it.  It’s a rare Marvel event where I’ve been reading and enjoying the tie-in issues as well, as I’m sure we’ll discuss over the next few weeks.

PICK OF THE WEEK

Swamp Thing: Green Hell #1(W) Jeff Lemire (A) Doug Mahnke

What a first issue.Humanity has reached it’s extinction point.  What’s left of humanity is not confined to small encampments.  It’s even reached the point where the Rot has nothing left to feed upon.  In their wisdom, the elemental Parliaments have decided that this slow death of humanity should be sped up and they are going to create a new Swamp Thing to finish wiping out humanity completely.The humans that remain are determined to continue their existence.  They have built settlements where they can, and are fortified as much as possible to protect themselves.  But of course, all humanity cannot get along, even when faced with the extinction of the species, with barder systems set up between settlements, and bullies running around threatening people if they don’t pay up.It asks the question is humanity worth saving, when even being faced with their own mortality, they still can’t get along.But can they even save the world when it’s reached this point?  What lengths should they go to, and is it worth letting in the devil to save the world as we know it?  There is a reveal late in this issue that just shows the confidence the creators have in this story, and it is a genuine ‘hell yeah’ moment.The art is phenomenal in this issue.  Doug Mahnke is able to balance the quaint and detailed settlements, with heavy horror imagery and full on bloody action sequences.  These are seriously some of the most brutal sequences we’ve seen in recent DC issues, and the title is more than worthy of it’s Black Label status.  The characters here, especially main character Donald, who is always there to reassure his daughter that everything is going to be okay, feel fully formed already, and this powerhouse creative team is clearly at the top of their game.Jeff Lemire spun one of my favourite ever Animal Man runs during the New 52 era, and there are plenty of links to that run here so long time readers are rewarded here as well.Overall, just an absolutely essential title, and a perfect bedfellow for Ram V and Mike Perkin’s excellent run, given the tonal differences and different set of characters at play.  The two titles will never step on each other’s toes, but are of the same quality.

Newburn #1 Review

Posted on by Alan Taylor

(W) Chip Zdarsky (A) Jacob Philips

Another case of following creators leads to another quality title.  We talk enough about Chip and Jacob at this point for you to recognise their names, though this is the first time they have worked together.  And they have kicked off with another strong title.

Newburn follows Easton Newburn, a retired cop. He now works as an investigator and problem solver for all of New York’s organized crime families while using their information to hand low-hanging fruit over to the NYPD.  It’s quite the tightrope for any character to walk, but it comes across as second nature to Easton.

In the first issue, Carmine Albano has been murdered in his apartment after stealing ten kilograms of cocaine from his own family. The evidence doesn’t clearly indicate anyone obvious, and a gang war and desperate grab for power may ensue if the murderer is not found. Before that can happen, Newburn is brought in to provide impartial clarity.  He is an investigator in the classic mould.  Sees details other may miss.  Won’t resort to violence quickly but not afraid to indulge when called upon.  He doesn’t have a horse in the game so doesn’t have any personal feelings towards any victims or suspects.

This is a police procedural, played straight and with interesting characters.  As we’d come to expect from the artist and co-creator of That Texas Blood, this is right in Jacob Phillips wheelhouse, and the art fits the store perfectly.

Another great title from Zdarsky as well, and a bit different from his normal work.  Another genre conquered by Chip?  Keep this up for the following issues and it may just be.